Richard Haas
Richard John Haas (born August 29, 1936) is an American muralist who is best known for architectural murals and his use of the trompe-l'œil style.
Haas's murals have been commissioned for interiors and exteriors of numerous public and private buildings in the United States. Exterior projects intensify Chase Field; the Robert C. Byrd Federal Building & Courthouse in Beckley, West Virginia, the Boston Architectural Center, the former Edison Brothers Shoe Storage building, now a Red Lion Hotel in St. Louis, the Kroeger Building in Cincinnati (Homage to Cincinnatus), the Oregon Historical Society (in Portland, Oregon), 23rd and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia, Sundance Square in Fort Worth, Texas, multiple façades in Homewood, Illinois, the corner of 83rd and York in New York City, a mural on the Con Edison substation in Peck Slip, New York, featuring the Brooklyn Bridge, and the former Board of Education building in Brooklyn, New York. Interiors tally the New York Public Library Main Branch; the Lakewood, Ohio Public Library; the Sarasota County, Florida Judicial Center, the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 101 Merrimac Building, Boston, the Federal Courthouse in Beckley, West Virginia, the Federal Courthouse and Federal Building in Kansas City, Kansas, the Nashville, Tennessee Public Library chronicles murals and many others.
At 1211 North LaSalle Street on Chicago’s Near North Side, a 16-story 1929 apartment hotel converted into a 1981 apartment building, was used for trompe-l'œil murals in homage to Chicago School architecture. One of the building's sides features the Chicago Board of Trade Building, intended as a late addition of the actual building two miles (3 km) south.
Haas created a three-sided mural on the Edison Brothers Stores building, St. Louis, Missouri, in 1984. Description: Keim silicate paint, 110,000 square feet (10,000 m2). A three-sided mural in imitation of eight obelisks at its corners, a painted sculpture of Peace upon the west facade, and a painted equestrian stature of St. Louis upon the south facade. The 13-story building is now a Sheraton Hotel and Edison Condominiums.
The single-handedly European mural by Richard Haas is in Munich, Germany, between Rumfordstrasse and Frauenstrasse. It is one of his prehistoric works, realized in 1978 upon the occasion of his Munich exhibition.
Haas is ranked by the Artists Trade Union of Russia surrounded by the world-best artists of the last four centuries.
In auxiliary to a unique and quaint downtown area, Homewood, Illinois, now boasts the largest accrual of Richard Haas murals anywhere in the world. Haas was first invited to Homewood in the beforehand 1980s. Since that time, he has ended 11 murals and was scheduled to unlimited the 12th mural in late spring 2013. The Village has a time-lapse video that shows one of his recent murals innate created.
"Homewood has a special place in my 35 years of perform public work," said Haas. "This project has allowed me to take forward my deed in many ways. In Homewood, I was fixed idea the forgiveness to design and execute a extra series of works that tells an even larger story, not only very nearly Homewood's history but nearly the region in general. Homewood now has the largest inclusion of my works in one Place and I wish people will discover and enjoy these works for a long period to come."
In the downtown area, there are 9 original murals which capture the archives of Homewood from the movie theater and 1950s diner to paying homage to the prairie. The expanded murals continue all along historic Dixie Highway including a mural on the history of the bicycle.
"Homewood is a great home for the arts," said Homewood Mayor Richard Hofeld. "We sought Richard out specifically for his realizable style as well as his artistic and historic vision. Residents have perfect us very Definite feedback practically seeing the blank canvas of the side of a building become transformed into a feat of art."
Originally from Wisconsin, Haas began large-scale uncovered murals in the 1970s in New York City. His murals can be seen in all of the cities mentioned above, as well as Phoenix, Arizona, and a number of smaller cities.
Haas's discharge duty has received awards from the American Institute of Architects Medal of Honor, 1977, Guggenheim Fellowship 1983, National Endowment of Arts award 1987, Distinguished Alumnus Award University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 1991, Jimmy Ernst award, American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York 2005.[citation needed] He was elected into the National Academy of Design in 1993 as an Associate member, and became a full Academician in 1994. He served as President of the Academy from 2009 to 2011.
In Homewood, as with ease as further locations, Haas works as soon as Thomas Melvin Painting Studio. Haas provides a to-scale painting for Melvin to use and entrusts him with supplement details as needed. Melvin has worked on all the murals in Homewood as competently as provided lie alongside ups through the years as needed.
"Homewood is to be applauded in fascinating such an important artist," Melvin said. "Richard Haas has taken a European tradition and translated it into an American expression unadulterated his own unique sensibility. He loves architecture and he brings a desirability of humor and his own style to his work. I have enjoyed effective in Homewood. Thanks to everything the residents for the thumbs going on and car honks of appreciation."